Fruit-picker



S. B. IVIURISON.

FRulT PICKER. APPLICATION FILED .IULY 2.1919.

Pa'en'ed Apr. 13, 1920.

SAMUEL BENJAMIN MRISON, OF REDLANDS, GALIFRNIA.

FRUIT-PICKER.

Application filed July 2,.1919.

To all whom 'it may conce/fn.'

Be it known that l, SAMUEL BnNJAMIN iilonisoN, a citizen ol the United States, residing at Redlands, in the county el San Bernardino and State of California, have invented new and useful lmprovements in Fruit-Pickers, olI which the following is a specification.

My object is to make an improved fruit picker, and my invention ronsists oi the novel lieatures herein shown, described and claimed.

Figure 1- is a fragmentary perspectA te of `a fruit picker embodying the principles of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary bottoni plan view upon an enlarged scale and shows the lingers and cutter, the view being taken looking in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figs. l and 3.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary edge view looking in the direction indicated by the arrow 3 in Fig. 2.

Fig. l is a fragmentary side elevation of the operating handles as seen looking in the direction indicated by the arrow 4 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a cross section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a cross section on the line 6 6 of Fig. 4c.

Fig. 7 is a sectional detail on the line 7-7 of Fig. 2 and shows the operation of cutting the stem of an orange.

The main supporting handle 1 is more or less long rectangular stick orn wood having grooves 2 and 3 in the edge iaces near its lower end and having its inner lace hollowed out to make a track for the fruit. The sliding handle et is a short stick of the same material and lits against one side olf the main handle 1 adjacent to the grooves 2 and 3. Metal clips 5 and 6 lit against the outer three sides of the sliding handle 11 near its ends and are held in place by nails or screws 7 and 8, and the edges of the clips 5 and 6 extend half way across the edges of the main handle 1 and have flanges 9 and 10 bent inwardly and operate in the grooves 2 and 3 so that the handle 4 is slidingly connected to the handle 1 and adapted for reciprocation endwise to the extent ol the grooves 2 and 3.

A groove 11 extends from the upper end of the groove 2 to the upper end of the handle 1. A piece of small tubing 12 lits in the groove 11 and is held in place by staples 13 Specification c- Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. i3, 1920.

Serial No. 398,238.

embracing Vthe tube and driven into the wood. A piece ol hard tempered wire 1i is slidingly guided through the tube 12 and the lower end of the wire has a hook 15 passing through the corner ot the clip 5, so that as the handle -fl is reciprocated the wire 14 is reciprocated through the tube 12. The wire 1a is longer at both ends than the tube 12, the tube simply serving as a guide and bearing lor the wire where it turns to a transverse position.

An attaching plate 16 is secured to the side liace of the upper end ot' the handle 1 by rivets, the head 17 is formed integral with the upper end ol' the plate v16, the metal loop 1S is Jformed integral with the head 17 and braces 19 and 2() connect the attaching plate to the loop 18 on each sine or' the head 17. rThe cloth sack or conducting tube 2l is attached to the loop 18, the loop 1S ving to hold the upper end ot the sarl; open to receive the fruit one at a time.

Guide lingers 22 and 23 e tend .from the hearL 17 over the opening 2f rornied by the loop 18. A housing plate .lits against the lower tace of the lingers 22 and A rigid cutting plate 26 lits between the housing plate 25 and the linger 22 and is held in place by screws 27 and 26 inserted through the housing plate 25 and through the cutting plate 26 and through the lingers 22. A pivoted cutting plate 29 fits between the housing plate 25 and the lingers 23 and has an operating arm 30 extending below the lower edge ol the housing plate 25 inside of the head 17 and is held in place by a screw 31 inserted through the housing plate 25 through the cutting plate 29 and through the head 17. rThe lower end of the arm 30 is connected with the upper end ol the wire 14C so that as the handle 4 is recprocated the cutting plate 29 is operated.

An opening 32 is formed at the junction of the lingers 22 and 23 with the head 17 to receive the stem of the fruit and the space 33 between the outer ends of the lingers 22 and 23 leads to the opening 32. The cutting plates 26 and 29 have cutting edges 311 and 35 working in opposition and meeting' to cnt the stems of the fruit.

.ln the practical operation the fruit picker is manipulated to reach up to the orange or the like and guide it so that the l'ruit will pass under the head 17 with the stem passing through the opening 33 and guided by the lingers into the opening 32, and then the handle 4 is pulled downwardly to operate the cutting' edge 35 toward the cutting edge 34 to cut the stem and drop the o 'ange or the like into the tube 2l.

The housing plate 25 is made thin and the cutting edges 34 and 35 are near to the outer contacting face of the housing plate 25 so that the stem of the orange or the like may he severed close to the fruit and the fruit will drop through the opening 24 into the conducting tube 2l and pass downwardly to be discharged from the lower end ol the tube when desired without damaging the fruit.

Referring to Fig. 7, the cutting edges 3l c and 35 are dished downwardly so that when the plate 25 fits against the bulge 3G of the orange around the stem 3T the cutting edges will extend downwardly into the depression 3S around the stem and cut the stem below the plane of the bulge 36, so that the stem will not project beyond the lare 39 of the orange; and at the same time the plate 25 bearing upon the bulge 36 around the stem avoids all liability oi' the cutting edges abrading the skin of the orange. A circular opening 40 is formed between the lingers 22 and 23 so as to make a bearing face extending nearly around' the stem of the orange within which the cutting edges 3l and operate. rlhe plate 25 forms the lower face oit the lingers around the opening 40.

rlhus l have made a fruit picker which will cut the stems close to the fruit, which will not cut or injure the fruit, which will easily reach much of the highest fruit without the use of a ladder, which will readily enable the operator to select and cut one orange or the like at a time; and which is simply and easily made and easily operated.

Various changes may be made without departing' from the spirit of my invention as claimed.

l claim:

l. A fruit picker comprising main handle; a sliding handle attached to the main handle; a head attached to the main handle; a loop attached vto the head; a cloth conducting tube attached to the loop; lingers extending from the head over the opening of the loop; a rigid cutting jaw mounted below the lingers; a pivoted cutting jaw mounted below the lingers in opposition to the rigid cutting jaw; and a connection loetween the sliding handle and the pivoted cutting j aw.

2. In a fruit picker, a handle; a loop rigid l with the upper end of the handle; a conducting tube connected to the loop and held open by the loop; lingers extending from the loop at right angles to the handle; a cutter mounted below the lingers; a wire connected to the cutter and extending down the handle; and means for operating the wire to operate the cutter.

ln testimony whereof l have signed my name to this specilication.

SAMUEL BENJAMIN MORISON. 

